Page 47 of Faded Gray Lines

I gaped at her. “Are you crazy? I can’t drink at work.”

She raised a blonde eyebrow, the color horrific against her orange hairline. “Didn’t your shift end a couple of hours ago? You’re off the clock.”

Her simplistic logic made perfect sense, and I slumped back into the barstool. “You know what? You’re right. Vodka, and keep ‘em coming.”

Her only response was a wide grin as she poured the shot and set it in front of me. I slammed it before I could change my mind. The straight alcohol burned, but in a sick way, it made me feel better. At least the pain in my throat made me forget about the one in my heart.

“Hit me again.”

* * *

I placed the empty glasses in a horizontal line and counted them.

Nine.

Nine was a good number. Ten would be better.

“Barkeep, another one!” I hiccupped and waved the empty glass in the air as Amanda appeared on my left. “Wanna know my secret,” I said, placing my finger against my lips. “I murdered Mufasa.”

Or Luis. Tomayto, tomahto.

“Thank God you’re here,” Sarah grumbled, snatching the glass out of my hand. “She’s been quotingThe Lion Kingfor the past hour and insists on calling me Simba. At one point she broke out into some drunk-ass version of ‘The Circle of Life’.” Glaring, she pointed an acrylic nail at me. “Control her.”

Amanda just sighed. “Leighton...”

“Oh my God!” Holding my phone in one hand, I flung the other one out wide, barely missing her face. “I just Googled the meaning of that song. It’s not an actual circle,” I informed her, sloppily forming the shape with my finger. “It means if something dies, it’s reborn into something else. That’s some deep shit!”

I waited for her accolades. Instead, she just shook her head as an amused chuckle filled my ears. Turning to my right, I noticed a guy hunched over the bar in a tan trench coat, his back shaking with laughter.

“Right?” I asked, happy for the validation.

He said nothing, simply raising his drink in solidarity.

“There you go.” I smirked, sticking my tongue out at Amanda. “He agrees.” Standing on my chair, I grabbed a bottle from behind the bar and raised it toward my new friend. “Cheers.”

Amanda jerked the bottle from my hand. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“There’s no such thing.” I huffed, plopping back into the stool.

“Yeah, but thereissuch a thing as drinking in uniform, and if Emilio catches you doing it, your ass will be fired.”

I glanced down the at the golden Caliente logo scrawled across my chest. “Oh, shit.”

“Yes, ‘oh, shit.’ Do you have a change of clothes?”

I dropped my phone onto the bar and snorted. “No, I didn’t plan on Simba over there getting me plowed.”

Sarah whipped around, eyes blazing. “It’s Sarah.”

“She can have my jacket. It’s pretty long. It should cover her.” Every eye turned toward my only ally as he removed his oversized trench coat and held it up with one hand.

“Why, thank you, kind sir.” I slipped it on, my hands disappearing inside the miles of material and dropped my phone in the pocket. “See?” I said to Amanda, stretching out both arms. “Circle of life.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Throwing her hands in the air, she shook her head at Sarah and turned to walk away. “You’re on your own.”

I slid my barstool next to my new friend and extended my hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Leighton.”

He nodded and smiled shyly. “Dan.”